Blanket ban on manual cleaning of sewers: Delhi government

New Delhi: In the wake of 10 people dying while cleaning sewers in the city, the Delhi government on Monday announced a blanket ban on manual cleaning of sewers and warned that anyone found violating the rule will be booked under culpable homicide.

Delhi social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said that a committee had been formed to find out, within 15 days, the best possible ways or mac-hines to clean the gutters.

The directions came after L-G Anil Baijal called a high-level meeting on Monday over deaths during sewer cleaning. The meeting was attended by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi PWD minister Satyendar Jain, and Mr Gautam along with officials.

“It was decided in the meeting that no person will be allowed to go inside the gutter for sewer cleaning under any circumstances. There will be a complete ban on it. We will also put up hoardings in this regard,” Mr Gautam said.

He added there were “standing instructions” that sewer drains should not be cleaned manually. People, however, are not adhering to the norms.

“Now on, if any contractor or engineer is found getting the sewer lines or tanks cleaned manually, he will be booked under culpable homicide instead of negligence,” Mr Gautam said.

He said that he had issued instructions for putting up hoardings discouraging manual cleaning of sewers earlier also but that it was not followed properly and another incident happened.

A man died while cleaning a sewer tank in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital of the Delhi government on Sunday.